Switch-operating device.



U. L. STILSUN.

SWITGH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLIQATION FILED PEB. l, 1913. 1,086,237, Patented Feb. 8, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

BIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASH NGTDI V G. L.`STILSON.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FIILEDQ'FEB. 1. 1913.

1,086,287. l Patented Feb.3,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES L. STILSON, OF MOUNT MORRIS, NEW YORK.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application led February 1, 1913. Serial No. 745,653.

To all whom z5 may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES L. SriLsoN, a citizen .0f the United States, residingI at Mount Morris, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to railway switches and has for an object t0 provide a device for operating the same.

The invention embodies, among other features, a plurality of similar members arranged at the front and rear ends of a car, the front member of which, when a car approaches the switch, Operates the switch points t0 throw the switch either in or out and after the car has passed over theswitch, the rear member on the car reversesv the throwing of the switch so that after the car has passed thereover the switch will be in the same position as the same was initially.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and invwhich:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch showing the manner of connecting the switch points and the operating pin; Fig.

2 is a vertical transverse sectional view takeny on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, the switch being shown in open position; Fig. 3 is a similar vertical transverse sectional view showing the switch thrown in closed or out position; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view showing the device on the forward end of a car in position to throw the switch; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the operating member on the car, one of the said members being attached to each end of the car; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car showing one of the operating members attached to the rear end thereof.

h Referring more particularly to the views, I disclose a main track 10 and a switch 11, the mentioned switch in Fig. 1 being shown in open position. A strap 12 has rigid connection with the rails 13 of the main track 10 and the switch 11 includes the usual switch points 14, the said switch points being rigidly secured to a plate 15 mounted to slide on the strap 12, it being readily understood that when the plate 15 is slid horizontally on the strap 12 the switch 11 will be moved into open or closed position relatively to the main track 10.

An operat-ing pin 16 provided with a balllike head 17 extends'through the plate 15, the said pin being arranged in a vertical plane and adapted toy pass through one of a plurality of openings 18 in the strap 12 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it being readily Y seen that when the pin passes through the left hand opening 18 the switch will be in open position and when the pin passes through the right hand opening 18 the switch will be in closed position. A guide plate 19 is secured to the plate 15 and the mentioned pin 16 passes freely through an'opening in the guide plate, a collar 20 being rigidly secured to the pin 16 with an eXpansible helical spring 21 encircling the pin, one end of the spring abutting against the collar 20 andthe other end of the spring abutting against the under side of the guide plate 19 to normally retain the pin 16 in locked position to lock the plate 15 to the strap 12, it being further seen that by providing the guide plate 19 the pin will be retained ina vertical plane and the guide plate, together with the collar 20, will also provide a means for limiting the upward movement of the operating pin 16.

Secured to the front end of a car 22 is a pin operating member 23 comprising a flared head 24 having the ends of flanges 25 spaced apart to form a guideway 26, the mentioned head at the rear end thereof terminating in a horizontal ear 27' through which is passed a pin 28, the said pin being also passed through rearwardly extending ears 29 of a vbracket 30, secured to a medial portion of the head 23, thus supporting the l head so that the same will swing horizontally on the car. The head 24 of the pin operating member 23 is inclined downwardly and forwardly and a rack 31 is preferably formed on the front face of the bracket 30, the said rack being in mesh with a toothed wheel 32 keyed to a vertical shaft 33 which is journaled on the car 22 with a handle 34 of the shaft 33 arranged adjacent the operator of the car so that the operator can conveniently swing the pin operating member 23 horizontally to the desired position, as will be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

Now as the car approaches the switch, if Y the switch is in open position as shown in Fig. 1 and it is desired to throw the switch into closed position so that the car will remain on the main track, the operator swings the handle 34 to swing the forward pin operating member 23 so lthat the flared head 24e thereof will horizontally aline with the head 17 of the pin 16, and in view of the forward inclination of the pin operating member 23, when the head 17 of the pin is received in the flared portion of the head 24, the pin will be raised as the same moves along the guideway 26, thus removing the pin from the left hand opening 18.

It will be understood that the pin operating member 23 now extends forwardly at an angle to the vertical plane of the car, that is to say, the forward end of the pin operating member will lie to the left of the pivotal connection of the member with the car and when the flared head of the operating member grips the head of the pin 16, the operating member being retained in rigid position, the plate 15 carrying the switch points 14 will be moved toward the right on the strap 12 and at the moment the pin reaches a point at the rear end of the pin operating member, the mentioned pin will register with the right hand opening 18 in the strap so that at the moment the pin is released from the pin operating member the action of the spring 21 will force the pin downwardly through the right hand opening 18 and lock the switch in closed position so that the car will pass along the main track and not be switched on to the switch 11 or thrown from the track.

A second pin operating member 35, similar in every respect to the pin operating member 22, is mounted on the rear end of the car 22 and when the pin operating member at the front end of the car is swung to a position to the left of the point of pivotal connection of the pin operating member with the car, the rear pin operating member is swung into a position opposite to that of the front pin operating member and the free end of the rear pin operating member will therefore lie to the right of the point of pivotal connection of the rear pin operating member with the car. Now as the car passes over the switch and remains on the track 10, in order to throw the switch into initial position after the car has passed over the same, the rear pin operating member is placed a sufficient distance behind the wheels of the car so that the same will not interfere with the proper throwing of the switch. Therefore, when the pin is engaged by the rear pin operating member, the mentioned pin will be moved out of the right hand opening 18 and as the rear pin operating member is arranged at an angle opposite to that of the front pin operating member, and is rigid on the car, the plate 15 will be slid to the left on the strap 12 to return the switch points 14 to initial position and open the switch, the pin 16 being adapted to pass through the left hand opening 18 and lock the switch points relatively to the main track at the moment the pin is released from the rear pin operating member. If desirable a suitable chain can be connected to the shaft 33 and have a suitable connection with the rear pin operating member to operate the rear pin operating member simultaneously with the operation of the front pin operating member, the chain, however, being crossed so that when the front pin operating member is swung in one direction the rear pin operating member will be swung so that the flared head thereof will aline with the head of the pin 1G after the pin has been released from the front pin operating member. As mentioned heretofore, the rear pin operating member is extended a sufficient distance from the wheels of the car so that the switch points will not conflict with the wheels as the car passes over the track and the front pin operating member is also arranged in a position which will prevent any conflict of the front wheels of the car with the switch points when the same are operated, it being seen that the switch must be operated before the wheels of the car strike the same when the car is advancing toward the switch, whereas the switch points are not operated until the rear wheels of the car have passed beyond the same when the car is passing beyond the switch.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that initially and finally the switch is in locked position whether t-he same is open or closed and when the car equipped with the device described passes over the switch, 105 the operator of the car can operate the switch to open or close the same, it being, however, seen that the switch is returned to initial position and locked therein after the car has passed thereover, it being thus seen 110 that with a device of the character described the usual switchman employed at siding's can be dispensed with and the switch can be as efficiently operated by the operator of the car.

Having thus described my invention, claim:

1. In a switch operating device, the combination with a strap having rigid connection with the rails of a main track, of a 120 plate mounted to slide on the strap and having the switch points of the switch of the track mounted thereon and movable therewith, and a pin slidable on the said plate and adapted to normally extend through one of 125 a plurality of openings in the said strap to lock the plate to the strap, and a pin operating member for connection with a car and adapted to engage the pin, remove the same from the opening of the strap into which l30 the pin extends, shift the said plate relatively to the strap and release the pin so that the same will move into the other opening in the strap and lock the plate thereto.

2. In a switch operating device, the combination with a strap connecting the rails of a track, of a plate slidable on the said strap and having the switch points of the switch of the track connected thereto, a pin mounted on the said plate to lock the said switch points in one of a plurality of positions, and a pin operating member for connection with a car and adapted to engage the said pin and move the same to unlock the said plate relatively to the strap, shift the plate on the strap and release the pin so that the same will move into position to relock the plate to the strap.

3. In a switch operating device, the combination with a strap connecting` the rails of a track, of a plate slidable on the strap and having the switch points of the switch of the track connected thereto, a spring-engaged pin normally locking the said plate in one of a plurality of positions, anda pin operating member for connection with a car and adapted to engage the pin to unlock the plate relatively to the said strap and shift the plate on the said strap.

4. In a switch operating` device, the combination with a strap connecting the rails of a track, ot' a plate slidable on the strap and having the switch points of the switch of the track connected thereto, a spring-engaged pin normally locking the said plate in one of a plurality of positions, a pin operating member for connection with a car and adapted to engage the pin to unlock the plate relatively to the said strap and shift the plate on the said strap, and a guide plate on the said plate for guiding the said t pin into position to lock the said plate to the st-rap when the said pin is released from the said operating member.

5. In a switch operating device, the combination with a bracket for attachment to a car, of a liared head supported by the said bracket, langes on the said head and torming a guideway thereon, an ear extending rearwardly from the said head, and a'pin passing through the said bracket and the said ear to pivotally connect the said head with the said car.

6. In a switch operating device, the combination with a plurality of pin operating members mounted on the front and rear ends of a oar, of a plate mounted to slide between the rails of the track and having the switch points of the switch of the track connected thereto, and a pin extending through the said plate to normally lock the same in one of a plurality of positions, the pin operating member on the front end ot the car being adapted to engage the said pin, unlock the said plate and shift the same from initial position, and the pin operating member on the rear of the car being adapted to engage the said pin, unlock the said plate and return the same to initial position.

7. In a switch operating device, the combination with an operating member for shifting the switch points of a switch relatively to the main track, of a bracket supporting the said operating member and having pivotal connection with a car, a rack on the said bracket, a shaft journaled on the car and terminating at one end in a handle, and a toothed wheel keyed to the shaft and in mesh with the said rack for swinging the said operating member into shifting position on the said car.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. STILSON.

lVitnesses JOHN M. IIASTINGS. MARY I-I. STILsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

